Prevalence, Timing of Diagnosis, and Types of Reported Congenital Anomalies Among Women Attending Antenatal and Postnatal Clinics in Iringa Municipality, Tanzania
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66531/mjph.2026.v1i1.e5Keywords:
Prevalence, Congenital Anomalies, Antenatal Care, Postnatal Care, TanzaniaAbstract
Background: Congenital anomalies (CAs) remain a significant cause of infant morbidity and mortality, with long-term health, social, and economic implications. Despite global recognition of their burden, early detection and structured preventive strategies remain limited in many low-resource settings, including Tanzania. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence, timing of diagnosis, and types of congenital anomalies among women attending antenatal and postnatal clinics in Iringa Municipality, Tanzania.
Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 249 pregnant women and mothers with children attending antenatal and postnatal clinics. A simple random sampling method was used to select participants from the clinics, while data were collected by using structured questionnaires. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 to compute frequencies and percentages, which were presented in tables, graphs, and charts.
Results: This study revealed that about 9 (3.6%) of children reported having congenital anomalies by their mothers involved in the study. All anomalies were identified postnatally, with no prenatal detections reported. The most frequently observed anomaly was clubfoot (33.3%), hydrocephalus, cleft lip/palate, and heart defects, each accounted for 11.1% of reported cases.
Conclusion: The fact that no congenital anomalies were reported prior to birth may highlight concerns regarding inadequate early detection of these anomalies, pointing to a lack in prenatal screening systems. It is recommended that the government and health stakeholders increase investment in early diagnosis and public health education about the importance of pre- and post-natal services.
References
1. Süüden EL, Muru K, Poder K, Rull K. The prevalence of congenital anomalies: nationwide study in 2020 in Estonia. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2023;36(2):2259050. https://doi.org/10.1080/14767058.2023.2259050.
2. Kalae RW. Determinants of Congenital Anomalies and Their Effect on Affected Mothers: a Case of Kenyatta National Hospital, Newborn Unit (Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi). 2018. Available from: https://erepository.uonbi.ac.ke/server/api/core/bitstreams/629a237e-ee6a-49a5-aeee-8db093b620aa/content. Accessed 12 July 2025.
3. Mohamed NA, Mohamed A. Improving Knowledge, Attitude and Home Care of Mothers Regarding Children with Congenital Anomalies. IOSR-Journal of Nursing and Health Science. 2019;8(1):72-82. https://doi.org/10.9790/1959-0801057282.
4. Silesh M, Lemma T, Fenta B, Biyazin T. Prevalence and trends of congenital anomalies among neonates at Jimma Medical Center, Jimma, Ethiopia: a three-year retrospective study. Pediatric Health Med Ther. 2021;12:61-7. https://doi.org/10.2147/PHMT.S293285.
5. Narapureddy BR, Zahrani Y, Alqahtani HE, Mugaiahgari BK, Reddy LK, Mohammed Asif S, et al. Examining the prevalence of congenital anomalies in newborns: a cross-sectional study at a tertiary care maternity hospital in Saudi Arabia. Children. 2024;11(2):188. https://doi.org/10.3390/children11020188.
6. Kar A, Dhamdhere D, Medhekar A. “Fruits of our past karma”: a qualitative study on knowledge and attitudes about congenital anomalies among women in Pune district, India. J Community Genet. 2023;14(4):429-38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12687-023-00654-y
7. Ogamba CF, Roberts AA, Babah OA, Ikwuegbuenyi CA, Ologunja OJ, Amodeni OK. Correlates of knowledge of genetic diseases and congenital anomalies among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Lagos, South-West Nigeria. Pan Afr Med J. 2021;38:310. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2021.38.310.26636.
8. Moges N, Anley DT, Zemene MA, Adella GA, Solomon Y, Bantie B, et al. Congenital anomalies and risk factors in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Paediatr Open. 2023;7(1):e002022. http://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2023-002022.
9. Ferede AA, Kassie BA, Mosu KT, Getahun WT, Taye BT, Desta M, et al. Pregnant women's knowledge of birth defects and their associated factors among antenatal care attendees in referral hospitals of Amhara regional state, Ethiopia, in 2019. Front Glob women's health. 2023;4:1085645. http://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2023.1085645.
10. Bhandari B, Shil R. knowledge regarding prevention of fetal congenital anomalies among mothers residing in rural areas of bangalore district– a structured education protocol, IJR. SR– A. 2022;13, 2676–2681. https://doi.org/10.24327/IJRSR.
11. Mangla M, Sree KD, Kumar N, Panda M. Knowledge and Attitude of Young Married Women Regarding Congenital Anomalies in the Fetus: A Cross-Sectional Questionnaire-Based Study from South-Central India. Journal of Fetal Medicine. 2023;10(01):029-35. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0043-56999.
12. Leke AZ, Malherbe H, Kalk E, Mehta U, Kisa P, Botto LD, et al. The burden, prevention and care of infants and children with congenital anomalies in sub-Saharan Africa: a scoping review. PLOS Global Public Health. 2023;3(6):e0001850. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001850
13. Fitie GW, Endris S, Abeway S, Temesgen G. Pregnant mother's knowledge level and its determinant factors towards preventable risk factors of congenital anomalies among mothers attended health institutions for antenatal care, Ethiopia. Clin Epidemiol Glob Health 2022;14:100973. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cegh.2022.100973
14. Chaulo W, Nyanza EC, Asori M, Thomas DS, Mashuda F. A retrospective study of congenital anomalies and associated risk factors among children admitted at a tertiary hospital in northwestern Tanzania. PLOS Global Public Health. 2024;4(5):e0003177. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003177.
15. Al Abdulqader AA, Alarfaj HM, Bu Bshait MS, Kamal AH, Albarqi MN, Alkhawajah AA, et al. Community Awareness and Perceptions of Genitourinary Malformations: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study. Healthcare. 2024;12 (24), 2558. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare12242558
16. Magwe EA. Prevalence and Determinants of HIV Infections among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Clinics in Iringa Municipality, Tanzania. Afro-Egypt J Infect Endem Dis. 2025;15(2):169-78. https://doi.org/10.21608/aeji.2025.344033.1439.
17. Magwe EA. Iron Deficiency Anaemia in Pregnant Women: Prevalence, Severity, and Predictors in Iringa Municipality, Tanzania. Egyptian Journal of Nutrition. 2025;40(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.21608/enj.2025.427228.
18. Magwe EA. Prevalence and Factors Associated with High Blood Pressure Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Iringa Municipality, Tanzania. Zagazig Univ Med J. 2025;31(2):876-86. https://doi.org/10.21608/zumj.2024.341005.3714.
19. Magwe EA. Knowledge of Food Safety and Handling Practices among Food Handlers in University Communities. Egyptian Journal of Nutrition. 2024;39(4):106-18. https://doi.org/10.21608/enj.2024.407046.
20. Gulrukh S, Malik N, Iftikhar T, Aftab SB, Farooq N, Malik MA. Knowledge, attitude, practice study of congenital anomalies after ultrasound scanning among expecting women in tertiary care hospitals in Islamabad. Journal of The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Pakistan. 2023;13(1):45-50. Available from: https://www.jsogp.net/index.php/jsogp/article/view/606/726. Accessed 14 July 2025.
21. Bronberg R, Groisman B, Bidondo MP, Barbero P, Liascovich R. Birth prevalence of congenital anomalies in Argentina, according to socioeconomic level. J Community Genet. 2021;12(3):345-55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12687-021-00516-5.
22. Anele CR, Goldani MZ, Schüler-Faccini L, da Silva CH. Prevalence of congenital anomaly and its relationship with maternal education and age according to local development in the extreme south of Brazil. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(13):8079. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138079.
23. Geda YF, Lamiso YY, Berhe TM, Mohammed SJ, Chibsa SE, Adeba TS, et al. Structural congenital anomalies in resource limited setting, 2023: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Plos One. 2023;18(10):e0291875. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291875.
24. Hall EA, Matilsky D, Zang R, Hase N, Habibu Ali A, Henwood PC, et al. Analysis of an obstetrics point-of-care ultrasound training program for healthcare practitioners in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Ultrasound J. 2021;13(1):18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13089-021-00220-y.
25. Mogess WN, Mihretie TB. Prevalence and associated factors of congenital anomalies in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Plos One. 2024;19(4):e0302393. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0302393.
26. Dellicour S, Desai M, Mason L, Odidi B, Aol G, Phillips-Howard PA, et al. Exploring risk perception and attitudes to miscarriage and congenital anomaly in rural Western Kenya. Plos One. 2013;8(11):e80551. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080551.
27. Magwesela FM, Rabiel H, Mlelwa Mung'ong'o C. Pattern of congenital anomalies among pediatric surgical patients in a tertiary care hospital in northern Tanzania. World J Pediatr Surg. 2022;5(4):e000410. https://doi.org/10.1136/wjps-2021-000410.
28. Ssentongo P, Heilbrunn ES, Ssentongo AE, Ssenyonga LV, Lekoubou A. Birth prevalence of neural tube defects in eastern Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC neurology. 2022;22(1):202. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12883-022-02697-z.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Antony Mpepo (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles published in the Medox Journal of Public Health are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). This license allows unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original work is properly cited.
Authors retain copyright of their work and grant Medox Journal of Public Health the right to publish and distribute the article as the original source.
